Friday, 20 January 2012

I love chickpeas; May it be just plain boiled ones, in salads, soups or anything else. This is one simple salad recipe that I adapted from the Moroccan cook book which I borrowed from the library a while ago. It’s simple, easy, healthy and delicious! I loved the combination of flavours. In the book, it is said that chickpeas, beans and lentils are consumed daily in the rural areas of Morocco, particularly where the meat is scarce and expensive. They are cooked in stews, added to couscous and find their way to salads. This dish is particularly good served warm topped with crumbled goat’s cheese from the village.

Slada Hummus (Warm Chickpea Salad with Onions and Paprika)

Recipe adapted from: Flavours of Morocco by Ghillie Basan

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup dry chickpeas, soaked in plenty of cold water overnight

1 small red onion cut into half lengthwise, then in half crosswise and then sliced with grain

4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2-3 teaspoon paprika

¼ cup olive oil

Freshly squeezed juice of a lemon

a Handful of parsley, chopped coarsely

125 g feta cheese crumbled (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper – as needed

Bread to serve

Preparation:

1.Drain chickpeas, pressure cook them with salt for about 20 minutes or until the chick peas are tender but not mushy. If using a regular saucepan, pour boiling water over the chickpeas, cover and cook for around 40-50 minutes.

2. Drain the chickpeas and remove the loose skins by rubbing them in a clean tea tower or between fingers.

3. Tip the warm chickpea into a bowl, add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, lemon juice and olive oil whilst the chickpeas are still warm making sure they are well coated. Toss well and season with salt and pepper and mix in herbs.

4. Crumble goats cheese if using and serve warm alongside any crusty bread.